When Charles Barkley’s on the mic, you never know who’s going to catch a stray - and on Saturday night, it was the fans in D.C. who took the hit. During Inside the NBA, as the crew reacted to a reshuffled league schedule following the postponement of the Warriors-Timberwolves matchup, Barkley couldn’t resist cracking wise about the crowd at the Wizards-Hornets game.
“If you went to this game, you had nothing to do today,” Barkley quipped, drawing big laughs from Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith. Classic Chuck - equal parts brutal and hilarious.
"If you went to this game, you had nothing to do today."
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 25, 2026
— Charles Barkley on the Wizards & Hornets game. 🤣💀
(h/t @awfulannouncing)
pic.twitter.com/9rTVdEvVOY
But here’s the thing: the fans at Capital One Arena actually got a pretty solid show. The Wizards and Hornets may be sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but they delivered a surprisingly competitive game that went down to the wire, with Charlotte pulling out a 119-115 win.
For Washington, rookie guard Tre Johnson continues to show flashes of why he’s considered a key part of the team’s future. He poured in 26 points and dished out six assists, finding his rhythm as the game wore on. He got a strong boost from Alex Sarr, who added 24 points and four boards in one of his more assertive performances of the season.
The Hornets, meanwhile, leaned on their usual suspects. LaMelo Ball put together a well-rounded outing with 20 points and 11 assists, orchestrating the offense with his signature flair.
Miles Bridges matched Ball’s scoring output, adding three rebounds and four assists of his own. And don’t overlook Brandon Miller - the rookie forward continues to impress, tallying 21 points and crashing the glass for 11 rebounds in a double-double effort that helped seal the win.
Sure, this wasn’t a marquee matchup. But it was a reminder that even the so-called basement battles can bring the heat.
Young talent, tight finishes, and a crowd that showed up - despite Barkley’s jokes - to support their teams. Say what you want about the standings, but on this night, the fans in D.C. got their money’s worth.